Needle-latch-opening device for knitting machines



April 14, 1925.

G. MURPHY ET AL NEEDLE LATCH OPENING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

UNITED ST r orator-3..

GILBERT MURPHY, 0F PHILADELPEHA, PENNSYLVANIA, A N I) WALTER A, :SIMOND; OF FRAN'KLINfNEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNORS TO LKCME KNITTING MACHINE & NEEDLE COMPANY, OF FRANKLIN, HAMPSHIRE, A CORPORATION OF NEW HAMP- SHIRE.

NEEDLE-.LATCH-OPENING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACI-IINES.

Original application filed April 13, 1921, Serial No. 460;957. "Divided. and this application filed March 10, 1924. Serial No. 698,006.

Hampshire, have invented a new and useful I Iiuprovenient in NeedlediatchOpening Devices for Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification, like reference. characters on the drawings indicating like parts in th several figures.

This invention relates to knitting inachines, andn'iore especially to circular knittino; machines adapted to knit either plain or ribbed 'work and to change automatically from one style of knitting to the'other. The present application is a division of our prior application Serial No. 460,957, filed April 13. 1921. l

The application just mentioned shows 'a hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit automatically a seamless stocking having a fashioned toe and heel and a ribbed leg or ribbed end, as may be desired. This ma chine includes a cylinder supporting a circular series of cylinder needles, adia'lholding another series of needles. and suitable cams for operating'both sets of needles. The plain knitting operations are -performed on the cylinder needles alone, and the dial needles are brought into operation only in knitting ribbed work. Consequently, in knitting a stocking of the character above described, the dial needles areinactive or out of operation during the knitting of .a considerable part of the stocking. lVlien these needles are brought into operation to knit a ribbedsection of fabric, it is necessary to open the latches of the dial needles in order to be sure that each needle will take thread and properly perform its functions.

The present invention has for its chief object to devise a simple, effective, and reliable means for ensuring the opening of the latches of the needles in a knitting machine, hile the invention will be herein disclosed as embodied in the machine shown in our prior application, it will be evident that the invention is not limited in its application to machines of this type.

F ig. 2 is a bottom View of the *dial cant cap and the dial cams supported thereby;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of thelatch opening magnet;

l igs. 4 and 5 are cross sectional views on the lines l"4t'and 5-5, respectively, 3;

Fig.-6 is a plan view, partly broken away. of the dial cam cap; and 4 Fig. 7 is-a view similar to Fig. Qbut-showing the cams drawn inwardly. I

Fig. 1 shows a knitting machine dial '2 supporting a series of dial needles 3, the dial being provided with suitable slots to receive and guide the "needles. Mounted immediately above the dialQ is a dial'cainqcap l carrying axseries of cam segments or members which "cooperate to formga path 5 for the butts of the dial needles 3. The dial 2 and cap l'are mounted for relative rotation, the arrangement in the machine show-n in our prior application, above designated. in cluding means For holding the dial stationarjv while the "cap 4 and the cams carried thereby revolve, This relative rotation enables the cams to more the needles 3 backward and forward in their grooves to give them the desired knitting movements. In the arrangement shown the cap 4 is "rotated in "the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig-'2, and the needles are projected by the knitting cam 6, then drawn backwardly by the fixed cam 7 and the stitch cam 8, and are subsequently advanced and withdrawn again by the rear cam 10 to cast off their stitches.

For the purpose of opening the latches of the dial needles when they are first brought into operation after having been inactive lot a time, a permanent magnet 12 is secured to the edge of the dial cam cap 4 by means of a screw 14. The edge of the cap is notched as shown at 15, Fig. 2, to receive .the magnet 12. Preferably this magnet is U-shaped and is supported in an inverted position so that part of themagnet overlies the cap at and its rearward end extends down almost to the surface of the cap, as best shown in Fig. 1. The opposite end of the magneu is located immediately above the path. of movement of the dial needles, and it has an inclined or cam-shaped face, as best shown in Figs. 3, l and 5. which is located close to the needles in position to attract the latches of the needles and initiate their opening movement, as shown in Fig. l. The face also includes a receding trailing part 17 which is so shaped that as the magnet travels past the needles, and the needles in the meantime are being advanced radially under the dial cam cap, each needle latch will be attracted by portions of the magnet face which are located at successively increasing distances from the path of movement of the needles. The opening movement of the latch, therefore, is continued by these trailingportions of the magnet,

as shown, for example, in Fig. 5.

It will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 2 that the magnet 12 is located opposite the knitting cam 6 and in advance (with reference to the direction of rotation) of the high pointo-f the knitting cam. Also that the circumferential extent or width of the magnet is so proportioned withregard to the shape of the cam 6 that the latch will be moved into an upright position before the needle projecting movement is completed. The final forward movement of the needle therefore, will result in completing the opening movement of the latch just before the needle reachesits yarn taking position.

This simple arrangement, therefore, ensures the opening of the needle. latches. The use of the U-shaped 'magnet arranged, as shown, is of advantage in increasing the magnetic flux which flows through the needle latch.

While we have herein shown and described the best embodiment of our invention that we have so far devised,'we do not desire to be limited to the exact details of the construction shown.

Having thus described -our invention, what we desire to claim as new is:

1. In a. knitting machine, the combination of a series of needles, supporting means for This face com arises a leadin ti 316- said needles, cams for operating said needles, and a magnet mounted adjacent to the path of movement of said needles and having a face comprising a leading portion located close to said path to act on the ends of the needle latches to initiate their opening movement, and trailing portions located at succes sively increasing distances from said path and arranged to continue the opening movement of the latches as the magnet is relatively moved past said needles.

2. In a circular knitting machine, the combination of a dial, a series of needles sup ported in said dial, cams for operating said needles, said needles and cams being mounted for relative rotation, and a permanent magnet mounted in a fixed relationship tosaid cams and opposite the knitting cam to open the latches of the needles while they are being advanced by said knitting cam to receive the thread or yarn, said magnet having an inclined face including a leading portion located closely adjacent to the path of travel of the ends of the needle hooks and a receding trailing portion, whereby as the magnet is relatively moved past each needle the latch of the needle is attracted by portions of the magnet located at successively increasing distances from the body of the needle.

3. In a circular knitting machine, the com bination of a dial, aseries of needles supported in said dial, cams for operating said needles, a dial cam cap for supporting said cams, said cams and dial being supported for relative rotation, a U-shaped permanent magnet mounted on the edge of said dial cam cap and having a face located close to the path ofmovement. of the needles and and another part extending backwardly to a point closely adjacent to said cap, the face of said magnet being inclined and including a leading part located close to said path in a position to initiate the opening movement of said latches and a' receding tr 'riling part shaped to cause portions thereof located at successively increasing distances from said. path to attract the latch of each needle and continue its opening movement as the magnet and needle are relatively moved one past the other. p

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

GILBERT MURPHY. WALTER A. SIMOND.

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